Elise Davenport « growing couches

Canada Day this year epitomized why I love my life. It was a day filled with fun, family, and friends.

We woke up bright and early to get out the door and reserve our usual spot to watch the parade. We ended up an hour early and with a good chunk of sidewalk reserved for a large group of our friends. The parade definitely left much to be desired, in fact I’m pretty sure there were only two or three really good floats this year but the kids still enjoyed it and hopefully for years to come they will remember the people we were spending time with rather than what the actual parade looked like.

The kids pretty much had someone special to hang out with throughout the day. Sam saw his friends, Evan and Caleb (which meant we only saw him for about five minutes all day), Jake hung out with his buddy Nolan a little later in the afternoon, Lanae had her two good friends Natalie and Monica and Annie was snuggling with me and Julie. There was definitely an abundance of good company. I, of course loved the many kidisms that were heard throughout the day and many good laughs with some of my best friends. I think James just enjoyed not working on a random day during the week and would take a break like that every week if he could.
Later in the evening after a BBQ at “the Tams” we headed to my parents house for pizza and chillaxin’. The kids needed to wind down and have some quiet time before we made them stay up until 11:00 watching mediocre fireworks. It was one of the best evenings with my family, although it was rather unfortunate to have some key people missing, but we really just talked and laughed and enjoyed being together. I have to say that as we get older there are so many more opportunities for that even though the amount of time together isn’t as great it’s definitely more quality. Anyway, the kids ALL enjoyed the fireworks. The only one I was slightly concerned about was Annie and she clapped her hands, danced and kept saying, “wow, that’s pretty”. Overall I was so proud of my kids for the good behavior and just being together with no major issues. It was definitely a day to be enjoyed.

I found the prayer below from a blog of an author that I’ve been reading lately. This prayer was written for her kids but as I read it I realized it’s something I need to pray for myself before I can pray it for my children. So as I read it I changed the “you’ll” to an “I’ll”. It was a just a neat reminder to me of how much I need my heavenly Father and that only once I’ve discovered that truth can I really begin passing it along to my children.

By Lisa T. Bergren

I pray you’ll get caught doing things wrong—before they get too big

I pray you’ll fail—in things that don’t matter

I pray you’ll have to say you’re sorry—and get really good at it, so that when the time’s right, you can always find the courage to say the words

I pray you’ll cry, really hard—so you feel free to express both tears of anguish and tears of joy

I pray you’ll sweat—and learn what it means to work really hard for something you want or to reach a goal or to cross a finish line

I pray you’ll get lost—and discover you have the Compass within to help you find your way

I pray you’ll get weary—enough to know that you can’t do everything on your own strength

I pray you’ll give up—and rely on God for your strength

I pray you’ll experience unanswered prayers—and discover deeper, wider trust

I pray you’ll feel foolish—and realize we’re all nothing, without Christ

I pray you’ll suffer heartbreak—and grow in the discovery of how your Creator can use all things for good

I pray you’ll be shattered—and be reborn in the Spirit

I pray you’ll be near-sighted—unable to see anything but God, right beside you

I pray you’ll be far-sighted—unable to see anything but God, right there on the horizon

I pray you’ll lose a job—and know that your Provider is ever present

I pray you’ll brush up against death—and recognize that this is not the end

I pray you’ll have to wait—and learn the value of patience

I pray you’ll be deaf—to all but the Father’s voice

I pray you’ll be scared—of living without God in your life

I pray you’ll take crazy risks—and dare to adventure where your Shepherd leads

Amen.

So it’s taken me a bit to get this post up but I wanted to make sure I covered it here on my blog as it will always be a day to remember for a variety of reason! Some reasons I will gladly share here and others will be for the memory of those in attendance only.

Although I thought it a bit odd at first to have such a late wedding, in the end I thoroughly enjoyed having my day and then heading out for an evening of celebration. I didn’t feel that I missed much in only sharing in Joel and Meghan’s time through the night because we spent so much time together as family in the days preceding the wedding.

The days leading up to the wedding left much to be desired, weather-wise. It was overcast pretty much all three or four days before and many intermittent sprinkles. Needless to say we were all a bit nervous about what Saturday would bring us but God is good, all the time! We awoke to a beautifully, stunning sunny summer day…a day so warm and balmy that I managed to sport a sunburn on my left shoulder after sitting outside for a couple of hours in the afternoon watching Sam play baseball.

Around 3:30 I headed to Amber’s house to meet-up with my sisters who were going to “beautify” me. Although I’ve never felt like I missed out on having sisters I did enjoy this opportunity and it made me realize that as adults we can now enjoy something we didn’t have as children. Trish is the only one who had sisters growing up but for Meghan, Amber and I this is a new adventure and I think one we are all eagerly anticipating. After spending an hour curling hair, putting on make-up, accesorizing, and changing clothes we all headed to family pictures.

As is the case with most extended family photos it was a little chaotic. We were trying to photograph two separate families in a rather short period of time. We managed to get what we wanted though and after seeing some of the teasers from their actual wedding photos I’m pretty sure it will be impressive. Above are a few candid photos before the wedding.

The photographer got some good shots of our family, the gigantic mass of people that it is. A shot or two Joel, Meghan, mom and dad, the siblings and their spouses and one of the nieces and nephews with the bride and groom. We laughed at that one because we told them this was their future and neither of them looked super impressed but both of them are so good with the kids and I know they’ll make great parents one day.

After that we headed to the ceremony which was so beautiful. The grass was dry, the sun was beginning to set but as the summer days stretch out the sunset lasted so long. We watched as my mom did an amazing job of performing the ceremony and got through with only a tremble in her voice. I cried, of course, but only a few times and none of it was all out sobbing. Just the tears of joy that my little brother was committing his life to one of the greatest joys one can have. They released two white pigeons (symbolic of doves that find one mate for their entire lives) and then a whole group of pigeons that all flew in pattern over the ceremony site.

Then we headed back to the barn for the rather lively reception. It was a party to say the least but I enjoyed the fact that my children were extremely well behaved, they headed home to my good friend Christa around 10:30 and I was free to enjoy the rest of the evening with my husband. I danced, I chatted, I enjoyed people watching, I just appreciated the fact that this would be last time in a very long time that I would be celebrating a wedding with my family. We have some to look forward to with cousins, of course, but most likely the next ones that we will all anticipate with great joy will be one of the grandkids.

Although that was a lot to write it only encapsulates a mere moment in the many memories that will forever remain in our hearts. Stories will be shared, laughter enjoyed when we look back on this day. And as Sam has so emphatically stated to many people, “Joelie is FINALLY married”!

Here is a link to the site for a few teasers of Joel and Meghan’s professional shots.
http://jonmarkblog.squarespace.com/blog/2010/6/14/meghan-joel-teaser.html

In an effort to make this last wedding really special mom and I decided to take an adventure with Lanae to the spa. We got all ready (I took Lanae’s frog robe with us) and headed out on Wednesday evening. The women who were assigned the task of making us “beautiful” led us into a quiet, private room where my mom and I were treated to a foot soak and message while Lanae had her nails and toes filed and polished. She sat completely still the whole time and even allowed her nails to dry for a good 10-15 minutes. My mom and I were able to get our toes completely done without too much effort on our part of keeping Lanae occupied. It was definitely a nice treat.
Fast-forward to Thursday evening…I spent the evening at Joel and Meghan’s wedding venue tying beautiful sashes on chairs and setting up the reception barn. The evening was complete with laughter, fun, a bloody bird, which was followed by a moment of tension or two (which I’ll let Joel and Meghan share when the wedding is over and they can laugh about it) and family.

Friday afternoon was filled with food prep as I headed over to my parents place in the afternoon and helped mom, dad, Trish and Amber put together all the decorations and food for a rehearsal dinner of 40+ guests. It was a pleasure to serve Meghan and Joel in this way and I can honestly say I would do that again in a heartbeat. The kids all enjoyed the festivities and were very well behaved (all five of them). They got a bit of attention but for the most part entertained themselves.

At 7:00pm we welcomed all the guests into mom and dad’s home and let the party start. It was great evening that didn’t get too out of hand (as most Neufeld parties do). The police showed up once, just to check out what was happening because someone told them a big party was going on, but they left shortly after because there really was nothing to see. All in all a successful night and a great way to begin the celebration.

So it started so many years ago! October of 1982 to be exact…a man and a woman made a commitment to spend a lifetime together and share the joys and sorrows of married life. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy, in fact, anyone that’s been married KNOWS that marriage takes work, love, and true sacrifice. However, the rewards that you receive far outweigh any heartache you experience along the way.

I hope in the years that my parents have been together they know that they have truly inspired four individuals to make that commitment a reality and honor the example they’ve set along the way.

11 years ago, I made that commitment and have never looked back. James and I continue to grow in the depth of love we have for each other. As we move through the many stages of love and experience our own joys and sorrows, I think I can speak for both of us when I say we have only learned to love each other deeper.

3 years ago, my brother Ben made a choice to follow in my parents footsteps and chose a wonderful woman, Trish, to share his life with. Their commitment and love for each other has been a blessing to our family and knowing the joys and sorrows they have already experienced I can honestly say that I admire their deep connection.

A year later, Tim added another woman, Amber, to our family and again blessed our family with an example of sacrifice and commitment. Their fun-loving, playful enjoyment of married life is refreshing and a great reminder that keeping love fresh is so important.

Now, today we join together one last time to witness and support two more individuals who are choosing this journey. Joel and Meghan have already shown their commitment to each other and the desire to make this life-long road a priority in their life. I know we will celebrate many years of blessing and love.

The most precious words you hear, especially the first time your child says them. Of course Annie wasn’t actually saying them directly to me, she was reading “Snuggle Puppy” but nevertheless she knows the words and will one day repeat them when I say them to her!

I don’t really have lots to say today but this picture definitely makes me grin. I know having girls will bring its challenges and I’m pretty sure this one will be high on the list. As many of my friends can attest to I LOVE to talk. A good phone conversation or a face to face over tea refreshes my soul. Clearly this little girl is after my heart:) I often catch Annie playing with the phone in my bedroom so on occasion I’ll just unplug the line and let her push the buttons and pretend to talk. The crazy thing is that it usually entertains her for at least 30-45 minutes. Oh the joys!

I had to fight off the tears this afternoon as I listened to my sweet daughter belting out the tune by Francesca Battistelli. She sang…”Someday falling in love with, Holding your hand, Making our plans all come true. Someday under a sky so blue, I’ll give you my heart, Our story will start, someday soon”.

So many emotions flooded my heart at once, joy, anticipation, fear, uncertainty, happiness, sadness.

In a little over a week we will celebrate the someday soon my baby brother has so eagerly anticipated for many years. Of course he didn’t know Meghan would be the woman in his life the whole time he waited but thankfully she has graced his life with a fresh start and something so wonderful to look forward to. She will be everything he needs in a wife and best friend and I know that they will see many happy years together. The emotions flooded my mind for him in the things I gain in another sister, a new road for the journey our family is embarking on and the new experiences we can now share as siblings.

In the same breathe I could see the day I will give away my precious child to her “someday”. She is a princess, a little girl who loves all things beautiful and starts the morning with a quest for the best dress to wear for the day. She helped me set up for a wedding with Meghan not that long ago and her constant buzz about the “married dress” and the “married chairs” (we were putting chair covers and sashes on banquet chairs for a reception) and the “married day of Uncle Joely and Auntie Meghan” was a delight to hear. But in the moment when I heard her sing a song that will one day hopefully be for the man God has chosen for her I was brought up short. I know I have so many years to prepare for this and I thank God that he gives us time to prepare our hearts and minds for those days. But it also reminded me of the need to begin praying for the people my children choose. To lift those, who are as of yet unknown to me, up to our Saviour, give him the burden of protecting my children’s hearts and bringing people into their lives that will encourage, uplift, inspire, cherish and honor these precious jewels! It’s a lesson I will likely need to be reminded of again and again but hopefully God will honor the prayer of this day that my little girl will find someone worthy of her “someday”.

Today I was reminded of how precious the four gifts I’ve been given truly are. I was reminded of so much more than just the joys they bring everyday but the eternal blessing they are to me and the amazing responsibility I have to cherish them. There are so many ways I could go with this post…but I’m going to try and remain on track.

Sam turned 9! Where did the years go…I have one more year to enjoy single digits and then we hit the big 1-0. Am I really old enough to have a child this age. Sometimes my body says, “yup, you’re definitely old enough”:) I know, I’m still a baby to some of you but when you’ve given birth four times there are parts that don’t work as well, don’t look the same, and just generally speaking the body starts to change. My mind says I’m still so young…I just graduated, I just got married, I just started this family! It could go on but the truth is I have a 9 year old!

When I see the beautiful boy that God has given me I’m astounded at the intricacy of our Creator’s mind. I see a little boy, who is becoming a young man…I see a smile, a frown, a tear, a smirk and I know that there are so many faucets of this person. Some I know all too well and others that seem to escape my notice. I hear him growling in frustration at his homework, I see him gently lift his baby sister into his lap after dinner and snuggle her, I discuss with him the benefit of owning a “slap-chop” and how if I call in the next twenty minutes I’ll also get a second one and a free grater and in all those moments I experience a myriad of emotions at how the baby I held such a short time ago has become such a beautiful person. He’s far from perfect, he gets angry, he yells, he stomps, he slams doors but when I reflect in quieter moments I know that isn’t what defines him. He’s human, just like me! Instead I see that he is a sensitive, loving, kind little boy who belongs to me! I am the one who has been blessed with his presence. He’s a gift to ME…a special treasure that should be valued and proudly displayed.

I hope that in the next 9 years I can hold on and let go, that I can guide him and befriend him, that I can love him and like him. Every year will bring a new challenge, a new realization of who he is but I know I can trust one thing…that the Creator of Heaven and Earth already has a purpose and knowledge of where he is leading this treasure of a child and what role I will play in that!

Happy Birthday Sam. You are a gift and my prayer is that you NEVER forget that.

My brother Tim borrowed this great little sailboat from his in-laws and the two of us took off with the five kids to Cultus for a little bit of “sailing”. Tim was a bit disappointed because this was only his second try with the little boat and the first time they got no wind at all. This time there wasn’t much of a breeze but plenty of dribbles. Thankfully it picked up a little bit…enough to make a couple of short trips out past the dock and back again. The boys had an absolute blast in the boat and will definitely be eager to give it another try in the near future. Lanae tried once and was a bit scared but enjoyed it enough to talk about it for the next few days. Meeka and Annie spent the two or three hours chewing sand and getting soaking wet in the very chilly water. The sun peeked out enough to warm us up a bit and then we headed home full of fresh air. A great memory for the kids and a very enjoyable time spent for me and my brother chatting and playing with our kids.

growing couches

Author Archives: Elise Davenport

Canada Day 2010

A neat find

The big day!

Preparation

Inspired

I love you

Here comes trouble!

Someday Soon

A special son

Impromptu Excursion